Atmos Energy

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy, the largest gas-only utility company in the US, is interested in more than atmospherics; it is focused on delivery. Through its utility units, which operate under the Atmos Energy brand, the holding company distributes natural gas to more than 3 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in more than 1,600 communities in – more...12 Midwestern and southern states. Nonregulated subsidiary Atmos Energy Marketing sells natural gas and offers energy management services to more than 1,000 utility and industrial customers in 22 states. The company also has gas transportation and storage operations, and almost 70,900 miles of pipeline and distribution lines.

Atmos Energy seeks to balance the performance of its core regulated businesses by developing complementary nonregulated operations, particularly gas gathering operations and gas storage fields. It also has some minor power generation assets which it leases.

The company's operating revenues dipped to $4.3 billion in 2011 from $4.7 billion in 2010, largely due to a drop in sales from residential customers in the regulated segment due to lower gas prices and a warmer-than-usual winter which decreased demand. However, improved rates and a friendlier regulatory environment for Atmos Energy's transmission and storage segment allowed the company to post an improved net income for the year.

In 2011 the company's gas distribution segment had natural gas storage fields in Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky and Mississippi with 10.4 billion cu. ft. of operational storage capacity. Including its regulated storage and transmission division and its nonregulated segment, the company had an overall storage capacity of 60.5 billion cu. ft. in 2011.

Low commodity prices due to the global recession, resulted in a dip in revenues in 2010. However, improved rates and increased natural gas distribution throughput prompted by cold weather helped to lift income that year.

To raise cash to fund and streamline its core distribution operations, in 2012 Atmos Energy sold its natural gas distribution assets in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa (with a total of 84,000 customers) to Liberty Energy for $129 million.

Atmos Energy vaulted to its current size though an aggressive acquisition strategy (10 major purchases between 1983 and 2004). – less